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Isha Vidhya to start schools

Tuticorin: The Isha Vidhya, a wing of Isha Foundation, will begin three English-medium matriculation schools in Tuticorin, Nagercoil and Erode, during the next academic year (2007-08), to cater to theeducation needs of rural masses.

The `bhoomi pooja' for the proposed school in Tuticorin was performed here on Sunday. A.P.C.V. Chockalingam, secretary, V.O.C. Educational Trust, was the chief guest.

Speaking to reporters, Krishnan Venkatraman, project director, Isha Vidhya, said, "the three schools were coming up as part of a Rs.300-crore project taken up with an aim to set up a matriculation school in each of the 206 taluks in the State by 2014".

The first school was opened during the current academic year in Coimbatore.

He said that the schools would adopt `Total Physical Response,' a system developed by Mid East Tennessee University in United States of America, to develop linguistic skills of students.

"We would teach them the functional usages of English within 18 months of enrolment, which would make them employable anywhere in the world once they completed studies," he added.

Besides, computer education would be provided to children from the kindergarten level.

According to Mr. Venkataraman, the institutions would provide education through multiple modes, which was beyond `black boards.'

"We would discourage rote learning," he said.

He said the tuition fee for kindergarten was fixed at Rs.200 per child a month.

"We have plans to provide scholarships to those who cannot afford the fees," he said.